Man recovers computer seized in burglary probe

CARMEL, Maine — A local man has identified a laptop computer seized by the Waldo County Sheriff’s Department during a burglary investigation as having been stolen from his home last month.

Chief Deputy Robert Keating said the owner of the Compaq computer contacted the Sheriff’s Department on Tuesday after reading about the laptop in the Bangor Daily News. The computer was taken from the victim’s home during a burglary on Sept. 26.

The laptop and other items were recovered during a search of the Freedom home of Derek C. Creasy, 27. Creasy is in custody for violating his probation and is the focus of an investigation into burglaries committed in three Maine counties.

Creasy was arrested on a probation violation by Belfast police and sheriff’s deputies on Friday after stolen items were found in his car.

A Waldo resident reported coming home at 1:30 p.m. Friday to find his Moosehead Trail home had been entered and ransacked. Taken were jewelry, a camera and docking station, cash and coin collections.

Waldo County sheriff’s Detectives Merl Reed and Matt Curtis, Deputy Gerry Lincoln and Maine State Police Troopers Jason Andrews and Jonah O’Roak began investigating, and a few hours later Creasy was picked up in Belfast driving a Ford sedan. A subsequent search of the vehicle uncovered the items taken in Waldo. Also found were two chain saws and pulp hooks taken during a Sept. 7 break-in on Berry Road in Unity.

Based on that information, officers obtained a second search warrant for Creasy’s Glidden Road residence the next day. Found in that search were items taken during burglaries in the Kennebec County town of Albion in September 2008 and the Penobscot County town of Dixmont.

Also recovered was the Compaq laptop with the screen saver “Keith.” A story about the investigation was published in the BDN on Tuesday and the laptop’s owner contacted the Sheriff’s Department that morning.